Social media is now illegal for children under 14 in Florida

Florida has just enacted a new law restricting Social media Access for children. People aged 15 or under must now get their parents’ consent to have a social media account, while children under 14 are not allowed to have an account at all. This is nothing more Tik Tokno more snap chatno more FacebookAnd nothing more Instagram.

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed House Bill 3 (HB 3) on Monday, after he vetoed similar legislation earlier this month. At that time he noted the imminent arrival of A “Finest” A bill that would[support] Parental rights.” HB 3 appears to be that bill.

“Social media harms children in a variety of ways.” DeSantis said in a statement Monday. “HB 3 gives parents greater ability to protect their children.”

The new law will go into effect on January 1 of next year, giving Florida children some time to either convince their parents to sign their permission slip, or Download all their posts Before their accounts are deleted.

Many social media platforms already impose age requirements in their terms of service. Facebook, InstagramAnd snap chat All require users to be at least 13 years old, while TikTok caters to users 13 and under “A view-only experience…that includes additional safeguards and privacy protections.” HB 3 would impose a higher legal age of 14, as well as impose penalties on social media platforms if any violations occur.

How to Use Social Media Legally If You’re a Child in Florida

Under new legislation in Florida, social media platforms must prevent children under the age of 14 from creating accounts, as well as delete any accounts that already exist. TikTok accounts of 13-year-olds in Florida may not be saved by simply lying about their ages, either. Accounts that are treated or labeled as belonging to a user who is potentially under the minimum age must also be terminated. As such, accounts can be deleted if the platform’s algorithm determines that a user’s favorite content indicates they are 13 or younger.

This doesn’t mean kids will immediately set out to flood Snapchat with stories on their 14th birthday. While children aged 13 and under are strictly prohibited from using social media, children aged 14 to 15 can only have accounts if their parent or guardian provides consent for the platform. If a child cannot obtain this consent, emails and group chats will only be sent to them until they turn 16. The caregiver can also revoke consent and directly ask the company to delete their child’s social media accounts.

Fortunately, HB 3 explicitly excludes platforms intended exclusively for sending content to clearly defined recipients, meaning email and direct messaging services are still available to everyone regardless of parental consent. The legislation instead focuses on social media platforms where content can be posted publicly, including those like Snapchat that facilitate both public posts and private messages.

Despite the new law, the Florida government will not go after middle school students who do TikTok dances. Rather, it is the social media platforms that will face the consequences if any children create accounts. Any social media platform that does not comply with HB 3’s social media age restrictions could be fined up to $50,000 per violation, and could also be sued on behalf of the child for damages of up to $10,000.

Keeping Florida kids off TikTok isn’t HB 3’s only mandate. The legislation also imposes age verification requirements for porn sites, as follows Similar laws in other countries.